I finally slogged my way to the finish line this morning on My Fair Temptress by Christina Dodd. I certainly didn't hate it. No, My Fair Temptress was just boring. And blah. And pretty much Exhibit A when it comes to everything I'm finding wrong with historical romance these days.
First, someone in Avon's back cover copy writing department needs to get fired. This book is not a Regency as the copy explains. No, last time I checked 1849 and a mention of Queen Victoria do not a Regency make. But really, it's easy to see how the person writing the copy might have gotten confused. Avon is Regency Cookie Cutter Central, and the story itself doesn't have any sort of historical flavor. Frankly My Fair Temptress could have taken place in any time period and the reader couldn't argue too much. There's just nothing to distinguish it.
The heroine, Miss Caroline Ritter is ruined thanks to the odious Lord Frenshfield. So even though she was the toast of her one Season, she's now on her own looking for honorable work. Unfortunately the only thing Caroline is good at is flirting. I know, how are readers supposed to respect a heroine who is only good at flirting, and openly admits it. Anyway, she eventually secures a position with the Duke of Nevett who wants to see his "Frenchified" son married by the end of the Season.
Jude Durant, the earl of Huntington, has no time for a tutor. He's acting like a dandy (and an all around jack ass) to avenge his brother's murder and capture the culprits. Caroline proves nothing but a distraction until she ingratiates herself to the villains.
What doesn't work? Well pretty much all of it. Jude and Caroline seem like nice characters - but that's just the problem. They never elevate themselves above being mere characters. They are also mired in cliche' - how many dandy-pretending heroes and fallen heroines have readers come across before? Hundreds, and unfortunately Jude and Caroline do nothing to distinguish themselves from the herd.
I also found the plot laughable. Honestly, I'm supposed to believe that Jude is scaring off debutantes AND their scheming mamas because he dresses and acts like a dandy? Puhleeze. Women overlook a lot more to snag a husband even in this day and age - let alone in the 19th century when a woman's options were much more limited.
Also, I suspect many readers (especially those not in love with the story) will get very ticked off when they hit the ending. Oh sure, Jude and Caroline ride off into the sunset happily-ever-after, but a huge piece of the conflict goes unresolved and Dodd ends on a cliff hanger. So readers who want any sort of closure are stuck waiting on a sequel to clear up the entire matter. Frankly, I find this sort of thing a bit manipulative - but that's just me. Perhaps if I had enjoyed the book I might feel differently.
About the only bright spot here is Jude's stepmother - whom I rather liked. She seemed like a smart woman who had learned long ago how to maneuver through the "system." Other than that, I found My Fair Temptress a rather unforgettable read. I know several readers who find Dodd "hit or miss." This one was a definite miss in my book.
About The Bat Cave
Monday, October 31, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
RTB #9
My new column is up over at Romancing The Blog. I would wager that it's one of the shortest columns on record.
Since my column is about reading over typos and historical errors, I thought it might be fun to bring one to your attention. Now, the historical error isn't in the book itself. Actually it's the author's web page that is at fault, which to me is a bit more glaring. I mean, shouldn't the author know this is way, way, way wrong? And yet, it's on her web page.
I'm currently reading Christina Dodd's new book My Fair Temptress. I promise a full on report after I finish it, but right now I'm finding it pleasant. It's not lighting my world on fire, but it's not turning me into a cantankerous shrew either.
Anywho, while surfing the author's web site (which is a normal occurrence if I'm reviewing a book) I noticed this page which describes the hero as "the most handsome, the most covert, the most dangerous of all the aristocrats in Regency London."
Nothing wrong with that, except the story takes place in 1849! Now the end of the Regency is up for debate (although most scholars will tell you around 1820) but everyone agrees that when Victoria took the throne the Regency was definitely over. When was that? 1837
Oh boy.
Since my column is about reading over typos and historical errors, I thought it might be fun to bring one to your attention. Now, the historical error isn't in the book itself. Actually it's the author's web page that is at fault, which to me is a bit more glaring. I mean, shouldn't the author know this is way, way, way wrong? And yet, it's on her web page.
I'm currently reading Christina Dodd's new book My Fair Temptress. I promise a full on report after I finish it, but right now I'm finding it pleasant. It's not lighting my world on fire, but it's not turning me into a cantankerous shrew either.
Anywho, while surfing the author's web site (which is a normal occurrence if I'm reviewing a book) I noticed this page which describes the hero as "the most handsome, the most covert, the most dangerous of all the aristocrats in Regency London."
Nothing wrong with that, except the story takes place in 1849! Now the end of the Regency is up for debate (although most scholars will tell you around 1820) but everyone agrees that when Victoria took the throne the Regency was definitely over. When was that? 1837
Oh boy.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Rosa Parks, Reading And Nightmares
I feel it would be remiss to not comment on the death of Rosa Parks. To me she exemplifies the fact that one person can make a difference. That person doesn't need to do something "big" either. Just by simply refusing to give up her bus seat she was the spark that ignited the civil rights movement.
I would argue that this "small" act is the defining moment in 20th century American history. But that's just me.
I slept fairly decent for the first time in a long time last night - although I had my recurring nightmare again. This is going to sound silly. I'm at my library, trying to close up for the day and library patrons won't leave. In fact, more and more of them keep pouring into the building. Um, I'm not sure what this dream means? Am I stressed out? Overworked? Need a vacation? Probably all three.
I'm going to be on an extremely tight budget for a while, so my book buying has gone down to nil. Nothing. Nada. I'm not even buying used books ladies and gentlemen.
Now before you feel sorry for me - my TBR has gotten out of control. I have hundreds of unread books - so it's not like I'll run out of reading material. Also, I've landed on the distribution list for ARCs at Warner books - so between them, my book trading group, my library system and TRR's editor sending me stuff to review I'm pretty flush.
In fact, my next read is a review book - the latest Christina Dodd title My Fair Temptress. I'm rather looking forward to it. I don't review a ton of historicals anymore and my only experience with Dodd's work is the anthology she did with Connie Brockway, Once Upon A Pillow (which I enjoyed very much). Depending on how I like MFT, I might be asking for more Dodd recommendations.
I would argue that this "small" act is the defining moment in 20th century American history. But that's just me.
I slept fairly decent for the first time in a long time last night - although I had my recurring nightmare again. This is going to sound silly. I'm at my library, trying to close up for the day and library patrons won't leave. In fact, more and more of them keep pouring into the building. Um, I'm not sure what this dream means? Am I stressed out? Overworked? Need a vacation? Probably all three.
I'm going to be on an extremely tight budget for a while, so my book buying has gone down to nil. Nothing. Nada. I'm not even buying used books ladies and gentlemen.
Now before you feel sorry for me - my TBR has gotten out of control. I have hundreds of unread books - so it's not like I'll run out of reading material. Also, I've landed on the distribution list for ARCs at Warner books - so between them, my book trading group, my library system and TRR's editor sending me stuff to review I'm pretty flush.
In fact, my next read is a review book - the latest Christina Dodd title My Fair Temptress. I'm rather looking forward to it. I don't review a ton of historicals anymore and my only experience with Dodd's work is the anthology she did with Connie Brockway, Once Upon A Pillow (which I enjoyed very much). Depending on how I like MFT, I might be asking for more Dodd recommendations.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Weekend Reads
I'm always mildly comforted when I see news stories like this one. It's nice to know the US hasn't cornered the market on perverts using the public library.
In other news, I wrapped up some reading this weekend. First up was my first ever Silhouette Bombshell read, Exception To The Rule by Doranna Durgin. I'm sorry to say I didn't think much of it, mainly because I found the backstory sloppy as hell.
The heroine, Kimmer Reed, works for the Hunter Agency. What is the Hunter Agency? Well that's a mighty good question since the author never spells it out. One gets the impression they're some sort of private sector bodyguard/spy organization. Anywho, her boss orders her to backwoods Pennsylvania to guard a computer geek who discovered a flaw in a laser-guided missile system. Or something.
Anyway, Kimmer isn't real keen on taking the assignment since she grew up in the area and her childhood was unpleasant. Further complicating the issue is that the computer geek has her own bodyguard - her sexy cousin Rio (a name that only exists in Romance Novel Land). But Kimmer is under strict orders to protect them from afar and not disclose the Hunter Agency's involvement.
I had a real hard time with this book, mainly due to the total lack of information on the Hunter Agency. It's hard to care much about the heroine's job when there isn't enough background available to flesh it out. This lack of explanation isn't helped by the fact that Kimmer's identity is really wrapped up in her job.
As for romance? Eh. Kimmer and Rio spend too much time apart for me to really "see" a romance developing of any sort. But they're good people separately, so I'm willing to overlook this. I also enjoyed Kimmer's character, as she can take care of herself and doesn't need the man to ride to her rescue. Kimmer's past is rife with possibilities as well, further exhibited by the existence of a Beyond The Rules, a September 2005 release and the second book in the Kimmer series.
I should also finish a non-fiction book on my lunch break today - Heavy Words, Lightly Thrown by Chris Roberts. This is a fun little book about the history of various nursery rhymes. Trust me, I've begun thinking of the term "goose bumps" in a whole new light (here's a hint, it has to do with ladies of the evening persuasion).
There's lots of neat-o British history here, as most nursery rhymes hail from the time of Henry VIII and the Stuarts. My only quibble is that the author assumes a lot. I have a degree in British history, but admittedly those wacky Stuarts confuse me sometimes (I can never keep all the pretenders and uprisings straight). So the average American might be flummoxed at times. Still, the author provides a glossary of British-isms for us dumb Americans, so that helps some. Also, he's a librarian and could surely use the added income - so I hope this book sells like hot cats. At the very least check to see if your local library has a copy. It's very entertaining in parts - especially when the author admits that Americans must have a sense of humor to adopt "Yankee Doodle" as their own.
In other news, I wrapped up some reading this weekend. First up was my first ever Silhouette Bombshell read, Exception To The Rule by Doranna Durgin. I'm sorry to say I didn't think much of it, mainly because I found the backstory sloppy as hell.
The heroine, Kimmer Reed, works for the Hunter Agency. What is the Hunter Agency? Well that's a mighty good question since the author never spells it out. One gets the impression they're some sort of private sector bodyguard/spy organization. Anywho, her boss orders her to backwoods Pennsylvania to guard a computer geek who discovered a flaw in a laser-guided missile system. Or something.
Anyway, Kimmer isn't real keen on taking the assignment since she grew up in the area and her childhood was unpleasant. Further complicating the issue is that the computer geek has her own bodyguard - her sexy cousin Rio (a name that only exists in Romance Novel Land). But Kimmer is under strict orders to protect them from afar and not disclose the Hunter Agency's involvement.
I had a real hard time with this book, mainly due to the total lack of information on the Hunter Agency. It's hard to care much about the heroine's job when there isn't enough background available to flesh it out. This lack of explanation isn't helped by the fact that Kimmer's identity is really wrapped up in her job.
As for romance? Eh. Kimmer and Rio spend too much time apart for me to really "see" a romance developing of any sort. But they're good people separately, so I'm willing to overlook this. I also enjoyed Kimmer's character, as she can take care of herself and doesn't need the man to ride to her rescue. Kimmer's past is rife with possibilities as well, further exhibited by the existence of a Beyond The Rules, a September 2005 release and the second book in the Kimmer series.
I should also finish a non-fiction book on my lunch break today - Heavy Words, Lightly Thrown by Chris Roberts. This is a fun little book about the history of various nursery rhymes. Trust me, I've begun thinking of the term "goose bumps" in a whole new light (here's a hint, it has to do with ladies of the evening persuasion).
There's lots of neat-o British history here, as most nursery rhymes hail from the time of Henry VIII and the Stuarts. My only quibble is that the author assumes a lot. I have a degree in British history, but admittedly those wacky Stuarts confuse me sometimes (I can never keep all the pretenders and uprisings straight). So the average American might be flummoxed at times. Still, the author provides a glossary of British-isms for us dumb Americans, so that helps some. Also, he's a librarian and could surely use the added income - so I hope this book sells like hot cats. At the very least check to see if your local library has a copy. It's very entertaining in parts - especially when the author admits that Americans must have a sense of humor to adopt "Yankee Doodle" as their own.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Another One Bites The Dust
Those who know me know that I'm a serious tea drinker. I'm talking addictive tendencies. I suspect I may have been Earl Grey in a former life.My morning caffeine jolt comes from hot tea - and it was while I was making a travel mug of Republic Of Tea's Ginger Peach that I experienced a death in the family.
The lid to my travel mug shattered when I tried to snap it on.
OK, so it's only a travel mug - but it was my favorite travel mug. I got it at the RWA conference in Denver in 2002 from author Elizabeth Boyle. She had what I consider one of the greatest promo items I'd ever received. A white travel mug emblazoned with the cover art to One Night Of Passion.
When I saw Boyle again at RWA in Reno this past July I told her how much I loved that giveaway and how I used it several times a week. She mentioned she no longer had one for herself (I seem to recall a muttering about her husband).
Now mine is gone. Wahhhhhhh!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Headline News
I love it when the news media tells me the obvious. That wacky Saddam is said to be "defiant," "uncooperative," and "won't recognize court's authority" depending on what story you read.
Well duh.
Hey, I never said I was mature.
What did we all expect? That Saddam would roll over and play dead? Say, "Golly gee, my bad!" Of course he's defiant! Morons.
On the complete other end of the spectrum, a different moron has greenlighted a sixth Rocky movie.
Honestly, does the world need another Rocky movie? My answer would be no. Just look at the breakdown of the first five:
Rocky I - a really good movie about the underdog winning. Well sort of.
Rocky II - a really good sequel capped off by Rocky & Adrian marrying. Call me crazy, I enjoy their romance. This also happens to be my favorite out of the franchise, in case you care.
Rocky III - watchable in a 1980s sort of way thanks to Mr. T. Also, Mickey dies and I get all choked up.
Rocky IV - fairly unwatchable thanks to the blatant rah-rah Reagan-era "get those commie bastards" message. And I'm kind of ticked off by the whole Apollo Creed dying in the ring thing.
Rocky V - so awful that I've never seen it all the way through. Just plain bad. This is a movie just begging for Mystery Science Theater 3000 to return from cancellation hell.
But Sly has to have something to do ever since The Contender bombed. I'm thinking he should take up needlepoint myself.
Well duh.
Hey, I never said I was mature.
What did we all expect? That Saddam would roll over and play dead? Say, "Golly gee, my bad!" Of course he's defiant! Morons.
On the complete other end of the spectrum, a different moron has greenlighted a sixth Rocky movie.
Honestly, does the world need another Rocky movie? My answer would be no. Just look at the breakdown of the first five:
Rocky I - a really good movie about the underdog winning. Well sort of.
Rocky II - a really good sequel capped off by Rocky & Adrian marrying. Call me crazy, I enjoy their romance. This also happens to be my favorite out of the franchise, in case you care.
Rocky III - watchable in a 1980s sort of way thanks to Mr. T. Also, Mickey dies and I get all choked up.
Rocky IV - fairly unwatchable thanks to the blatant rah-rah Reagan-era "get those commie bastards" message. And I'm kind of ticked off by the whole Apollo Creed dying in the ring thing.
Rocky V - so awful that I've never seen it all the way through. Just plain bad. This is a movie just begging for Mystery Science Theater 3000 to return from cancellation hell.
But Sly has to have something to do ever since The Contender bombed. I'm thinking he should take up needlepoint myself.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
New Romantic Comedy
If you're like me, when you see a book described as a "romantic comedy" you run screaming for the hills. I've read some bad, bad, bad romantic comedy over the years and to this day I break out in a mild rash when I see a cartoon cover. I'm getting better though.
So I probably would have avoided Kathleen Long's November release, Cherry On Top had I not gotten it for free at RWA. Yes, I'm a freebie whore and I have no shame. So I figured hey, since I got an ARC from Zebra (I swear, I thought these were an urban legend) I'd review it. Glad I did - because it's really a fun read! Just the thing to cheer me up since I've been such a piss-pot lately.
Cherry Harte has just been left at the altar and, while sitting in her wedding dress, she discovers she's won the Super Lotto! Her newfound millions (which she's splitting with her sister) are just the thing to help her change her life for good. So bye-bye New Jersey and con artist family, hello Mystic Beach, Florida and Women's League. Now if only her past would stay buried everything would be perfect.
When her car breaks down Cherry makes the mistake of taking it to the sexiest mechanic in town. Luke Chance is a former reporter fallen from grace who has no patience for priveleged people with money - especially new money. Cherry reeks of new money, and Luke is allergic to cherries. However he can't seem to get the woman out of his mind - all the more worse since her Women's League is competing with his Youth Club for an abandoned local estate.
My main beef with romantic comedy is when the zany antics spill onto the characters rendering them stupid and clueless. Long provides lots of zaniness here - from a vertically challenged mobster to a surgical mask wearing, poker playing painter named Yogi to a pet poodle who keeps trying to romance a skunk. Luckily though she grounds her lead characters, making them nice people with their own issues.
Cherry needs to learn that sure you can improve yourself, but you can't fundamentally change who you are. Luke needs to learn to not paint everyone with the same brush - a common afflication among romance heroes, but luckily Luke isn't a raging asshole about it like most.
I liked this book. It was fun. Sure it isn't going to change my life, or effect me on a deep emotional level, but I had a good time reading it. Sometimes that's all it takes to make me happy.
So I probably would have avoided Kathleen Long's November release, Cherry On Top had I not gotten it for free at RWA. Yes, I'm a freebie whore and I have no shame. So I figured hey, since I got an ARC from Zebra (I swear, I thought these were an urban legend) I'd review it. Glad I did - because it's really a fun read! Just the thing to cheer me up since I've been such a piss-pot lately.
Cherry Harte has just been left at the altar and, while sitting in her wedding dress, she discovers she's won the Super Lotto! Her newfound millions (which she's splitting with her sister) are just the thing to help her change her life for good. So bye-bye New Jersey and con artist family, hello Mystic Beach, Florida and Women's League. Now if only her past would stay buried everything would be perfect.
When her car breaks down Cherry makes the mistake of taking it to the sexiest mechanic in town. Luke Chance is a former reporter fallen from grace who has no patience for priveleged people with money - especially new money. Cherry reeks of new money, and Luke is allergic to cherries. However he can't seem to get the woman out of his mind - all the more worse since her Women's League is competing with his Youth Club for an abandoned local estate.
My main beef with romantic comedy is when the zany antics spill onto the characters rendering them stupid and clueless. Long provides lots of zaniness here - from a vertically challenged mobster to a surgical mask wearing, poker playing painter named Yogi to a pet poodle who keeps trying to romance a skunk. Luckily though she grounds her lead characters, making them nice people with their own issues.
Cherry needs to learn that sure you can improve yourself, but you can't fundamentally change who you are. Luke needs to learn to not paint everyone with the same brush - a common afflication among romance heroes, but luckily Luke isn't a raging asshole about it like most.
I liked this book. It was fun. Sure it isn't going to change my life, or effect me on a deep emotional level, but I had a good time reading it. Sometimes that's all it takes to make me happy.
Monday, October 17, 2005
History Fix
I have not been a very happy person of late. Why? Well I'm just really, really stressed out. And since running away to join the circus doesn't seem to be an option, I'm stuck here in Real Life Hell.
This is probably why I've been craving mysteries lately. Unfortunately, I haven't had much of an opportunity to read any. I had to zip through some romances I promised to book trading partners, and now I need to get back into review books. But I did manage to squeeze in one mystery thanks to work.
I saw a promo (or review?) somewhere for Kathy Lynn Emerson's new book Fatal As A Fallen Woman. It is book 2 in a series and my library system hasn't seen fit to order it yet. So, I thought - why not try book 1 and if I really love it I'll buy book 2? So that's how I came to read Deadlier Than The Pen.
Diana Spaulding is a widow living in 1888 New York City. When her actor husband dies, she lands a job at one of the many local newspapers writing a review column (theater and books mainly). However her editor has given her a new assignment. He wants her to dig up a juicy scandal on Damon Bathory, a horror writer who has been giving readings of his works on the theater circuit. Her editor makes it very clear that her job hinges on getting the scoop, and if she fails? Well, she should just make something up!
This doesn't sit well with Diana, mainly because she finds Mr. Bathory distracting. He's handsome, intelligent, and has a way of turning her insides into jelly. However, he's also very mysterious. When Diana's editor uncovers a series of unsolved murders that follow Bathory's touring schedule, she's not sure what to believe? Is she in danger?
Deadlier Than The Pen succeeded in giving me my history fix. There's a lot to like here. Emerson has a nice sense of place and time period, even evoking the infamous blizzard of '88. Settings range from New York City to frontier Maine - all great stuff.
I also liked the characters. Diana in particular is well drawn, and Emerson head-hops into the Damon's character as well. It's just right, and never distracting. Also, the sexual tension is particularly well done. It's easy to see how Emerson once wrote romance novels.
What doesn't work? Well the mystery. It's pretty thin, and it takes a while to get going. The first 75 pages or so are merely devoted to Diana following Damon around the city. After that, the author brings in a traveling acting troupe to beef up the list of potential suspects.
So it was a bit of a mixed bag. Was I sorry I read Deadlier Than The Pen? No. Will I be buying Fatal As A Fallen Woman? Probably not.
This is probably why I've been craving mysteries lately. Unfortunately, I haven't had much of an opportunity to read any. I had to zip through some romances I promised to book trading partners, and now I need to get back into review books. But I did manage to squeeze in one mystery thanks to work.
I saw a promo (or review?) somewhere for Kathy Lynn Emerson's new book Fatal As A Fallen Woman. It is book 2 in a series and my library system hasn't seen fit to order it yet. So, I thought - why not try book 1 and if I really love it I'll buy book 2? So that's how I came to read Deadlier Than The Pen.
Diana Spaulding is a widow living in 1888 New York City. When her actor husband dies, she lands a job at one of the many local newspapers writing a review column (theater and books mainly). However her editor has given her a new assignment. He wants her to dig up a juicy scandal on Damon Bathory, a horror writer who has been giving readings of his works on the theater circuit. Her editor makes it very clear that her job hinges on getting the scoop, and if she fails? Well, she should just make something up!
This doesn't sit well with Diana, mainly because she finds Mr. Bathory distracting. He's handsome, intelligent, and has a way of turning her insides into jelly. However, he's also very mysterious. When Diana's editor uncovers a series of unsolved murders that follow Bathory's touring schedule, she's not sure what to believe? Is she in danger?
Deadlier Than The Pen succeeded in giving me my history fix. There's a lot to like here. Emerson has a nice sense of place and time period, even evoking the infamous blizzard of '88. Settings range from New York City to frontier Maine - all great stuff.
I also liked the characters. Diana in particular is well drawn, and Emerson head-hops into the Damon's character as well. It's just right, and never distracting. Also, the sexual tension is particularly well done. It's easy to see how Emerson once wrote romance novels.
What doesn't work? Well the mystery. It's pretty thin, and it takes a while to get going. The first 75 pages or so are merely devoted to Diana following Damon around the city. After that, the author brings in a traveling acting troupe to beef up the list of potential suspects.
So it was a bit of a mixed bag. Was I sorry I read Deadlier Than The Pen? No. Will I be buying Fatal As A Fallen Woman? Probably not.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Martini Lunch
It's been a banner day here at the library. I didn't just get to call 911 once, but twice!
The first incident is sadly, very common. My library is on a busy street which means lots of traffic accidents. I heard one this morning, saw the car in facing the wrong direction in the opposite lane, and called 911 to report it.
The second incident? Well let's just say I totally lost my temper. I had two library patrons (who were using public computers next to each other) get in a shoving match. Obscenities were exchanged - some of them by myself. Since they seemed unwilling to listen to me (especially after I told them to leave), I called the cops. Again.
This is not good. Everyone handles stress differently. Me? When I'm in a rage I get hysterical. I'm talking tears. I was completely out of my mind. That's me Miss Cool Calm Manager.
Maybe I should run away and join the circus.
Another example of when Library Patrons Go Bad is stolen books. I have a romance novel thief, so the other day I ran a report of all the romances in the building and did a shelf check. I thought you all might be interested in what people are stealing, so here are the titles that I donated that have since walked out the door permanently:
Two Catherine Anderson novels - Phantom Waltz and Sweet Nothings
While You Slept by Wendy Burge
Love Storm by Susan Johnson
Return to Me by Shannon McKenna
So I guess my romance thief likes sweet romances featuring disabled characters along with raunchy sex. Who knew?
The first incident is sadly, very common. My library is on a busy street which means lots of traffic accidents. I heard one this morning, saw the car in facing the wrong direction in the opposite lane, and called 911 to report it.
The second incident? Well let's just say I totally lost my temper. I had two library patrons (who were using public computers next to each other) get in a shoving match. Obscenities were exchanged - some of them by myself. Since they seemed unwilling to listen to me (especially after I told them to leave), I called the cops. Again.
This is not good. Everyone handles stress differently. Me? When I'm in a rage I get hysterical. I'm talking tears. I was completely out of my mind. That's me Miss Cool Calm Manager.
Maybe I should run away and join the circus.
Another example of when Library Patrons Go Bad is stolen books. I have a romance novel thief, so the other day I ran a report of all the romances in the building and did a shelf check. I thought you all might be interested in what people are stealing, so here are the titles that I donated that have since walked out the door permanently:
Two Catherine Anderson novels - Phantom Waltz and Sweet Nothings
While You Slept by Wendy Burge
Love Storm by Susan Johnson
Return to Me by Shannon McKenna
So I guess my romance thief likes sweet romances featuring disabled characters along with raunchy sex. Who knew?
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
The Painted Rose
Malaise has officially sent in and it's all Laura Lee Guhrke's fault.
Ever read a book that you know you should like but for some reason it leaves you feeling sort of eh. That was my reaction to The Painted Rose by Donna Birdsell. It's a strong debut novel, and it really is a good read. I would have no problem recommending it to library patrons. Honest. For some reason though I had sort of a mixed reaction to it. Let's see if I can iron it out.
Lady Sarah Essington has not left her family home since she suffered from a tragic accident 8 years earlier. She now wanders the estate wearing veils, never allowing anyone to see her scarred face, and tends her gardens obsessively. Well now she's decided she wants to learn to paint, and her doting older brother secures a tutor whose work Sarah has long admired.
Lucien Delacourte is a French artist running away from his problems. The death of his wife and young daughter continue to haunt him to the point that he can no longer paint. Desperate to escape France (and his creditors) he reluctantly takes the job of tutoring Sarah.
OK, what I liked. First, I love it when the author shows her characters becoming friends before lovers. Sarah and Lucien immediately hit it off, but develop a friendship first. I also tend to be a "wounded" character junkie, so having 2 wounded main characters in the same book was really great.
OK, what left me feeling eh. The nondescript time period. This story supposedly takes place in the late 1770s but outside of mentioning the fad of towering powdered wigs I never got a sense of the time period.
Also, I'm admittedly not a huge fan of family members as villains. The conflict here is provided by Sarah's bored sister-in-law who wants to bed Lucien in the worst way. There's also some tacked on conflict involving someone trying to kill Sarah that just felt like too much. Honestly, the sister-in-law (who receives a great comeuppance in the end) and her secretive older brother are enough conflict. The whole "someone is out to kill Sarah" thing just gives the final 75 pages or so a TV Movie Of The Week feel.
Still, I should have liked this book a lot more. It was a quick read and this is really a very good debut. It just suffers because of my current lack of enthusiasm for historical romance. The only two historicals that truly moved me this year were Prairie Wife by Cheryl St. John and To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke (the latter published in 1995!)
Anyone else having this problem? Or am I just inventing "issues" again? And can anyone out there recommend a really moving historical romance? Bonus points for western/American settings.
Ever read a book that you know you should like but for some reason it leaves you feeling sort of eh. That was my reaction to The Painted Rose by Donna Birdsell. It's a strong debut novel, and it really is a good read. I would have no problem recommending it to library patrons. Honest. For some reason though I had sort of a mixed reaction to it. Let's see if I can iron it out.
Lady Sarah Essington has not left her family home since she suffered from a tragic accident 8 years earlier. She now wanders the estate wearing veils, never allowing anyone to see her scarred face, and tends her gardens obsessively. Well now she's decided she wants to learn to paint, and her doting older brother secures a tutor whose work Sarah has long admired.
Lucien Delacourte is a French artist running away from his problems. The death of his wife and young daughter continue to haunt him to the point that he can no longer paint. Desperate to escape France (and his creditors) he reluctantly takes the job of tutoring Sarah.
OK, what I liked. First, I love it when the author shows her characters becoming friends before lovers. Sarah and Lucien immediately hit it off, but develop a friendship first. I also tend to be a "wounded" character junkie, so having 2 wounded main characters in the same book was really great.
OK, what left me feeling eh. The nondescript time period. This story supposedly takes place in the late 1770s but outside of mentioning the fad of towering powdered wigs I never got a sense of the time period.
Also, I'm admittedly not a huge fan of family members as villains. The conflict here is provided by Sarah's bored sister-in-law who wants to bed Lucien in the worst way. There's also some tacked on conflict involving someone trying to kill Sarah that just felt like too much. Honestly, the sister-in-law (who receives a great comeuppance in the end) and her secretive older brother are enough conflict. The whole "someone is out to kill Sarah" thing just gives the final 75 pages or so a TV Movie Of The Week feel.
Still, I should have liked this book a lot more. It was a quick read and this is really a very good debut. It just suffers because of my current lack of enthusiasm for historical romance. The only two historicals that truly moved me this year were Prairie Wife by Cheryl St. John and To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke (the latter published in 1995!)
Anyone else having this problem? Or am I just inventing "issues" again? And can anyone out there recommend a really moving historical romance? Bonus points for western/American settings.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Back Into The Swing
Librarians may not get paid much, but you can't beat the time off. I get an obscene amount of paid holiday time, hence I was off work yesterday for Columbus Day.
Now I'm not going to complain about this, but holiday time is sort of a double-edged sword. I always come back to a massive, overflowing library book drop. This morning it took me and a library page over an hour to wade through it. A neat trick since all of my shelving carts are full and overflowing. I earned my keep by shelving videos and DVDs to free one of them up.
In other news I'm so bloody happy that the Angels beat the Skankies last night I can hardly stand it. If the Skanks had won I would have had a serious dilemma. I can't stand the White Sox either. What the heck would I have done if the Skanks and the White Sox made it to the ALCS? I probably would have been rooting for Chicago by default - but damn I would have felt dirty afterwards.
In reading news, I'm finally getting back into it. I took an extended break and literally didn't read a page out of any book for almost a week. I should have The Painted Rose by Donna Birdsell done by tomorrow.
Now I'm not going to complain about this, but holiday time is sort of a double-edged sword. I always come back to a massive, overflowing library book drop. This morning it took me and a library page over an hour to wade through it. A neat trick since all of my shelving carts are full and overflowing. I earned my keep by shelving videos and DVDs to free one of them up.
In other news I'm so bloody happy that the Angels beat the Skankies last night I can hardly stand it. If the Skanks had won I would have had a serious dilemma. I can't stand the White Sox either. What the heck would I have done if the Skanks and the White Sox made it to the ALCS? I probably would have been rooting for Chicago by default - but damn I would have felt dirty afterwards.
In reading news, I'm finally getting back into it. I took an extended break and literally didn't read a page out of any book for almost a week. I should have The Painted Rose by Donna Birdsell done by tomorrow.
Thursday, October 6, 2005
Awaken Me Darkly
Awaken Me Darkly by Gena Showalter was one of the books I picked up for free at RWA in Reno. It was a fairly decent read, up until the Aaron Spelling ending.
Mia Snow lives and works as an alien hunter in New Chicago, sometime in the future. The world-building here is incredibly light so a lot of these details are non-existent. For instance people don't shower with water anymore and chocolate is a rare delicacy. But since I'm not a stickler for heavy duty world-building this didn't bother me too much. You science fiction/fantasy fans might start grinding your teeth though.
Aliens live among us on Earth. Some of them are okey-dokey. Others are not so cool. The alien hunters are sort of like bounty hunters in the Wild West. They can bring in suspects dead or alive. Pretty much shoot first, ask questions later.
Someone is kidnapping and killing men. Mia finds alien hair at one of the crime scenes and latches on to Lilla En Arr, who didn't kill anybody but definitely knows something. Then Mia's partner is mortally wounded and the only one who can save him is Lilla's sexy brother, Kyrin. In exchange, Kyrin wants Mia to free his sister. Also, Kyrin seems to be tangled up in the mess with the missing and dead men.
This book works for a while because I liked Mia. Talk about a major bitch! I'm sure some readers will be turned off, but frankly after overdosing on goody-two-shoes romance heroines, Mia is the perfect antidote.
Unfortunately the author leads her character into an ending that just doesn't worth. Hokey is the word that immediately jumped to mind. Also, there are major loose ends here. Honestly, when did authors decide that loose ends were "ok" as long as the book was part of a series? This seems a rather new development with me, and several of my favorite authors (mystery writers included) have left sloppy endings in their most recent work.
You can tie everything up reasonably well and still mine it for future material in another story. Honest.
All in all, an average read.
Mia Snow lives and works as an alien hunter in New Chicago, sometime in the future. The world-building here is incredibly light so a lot of these details are non-existent. For instance people don't shower with water anymore and chocolate is a rare delicacy. But since I'm not a stickler for heavy duty world-building this didn't bother me too much. You science fiction/fantasy fans might start grinding your teeth though.
Aliens live among us on Earth. Some of them are okey-dokey. Others are not so cool. The alien hunters are sort of like bounty hunters in the Wild West. They can bring in suspects dead or alive. Pretty much shoot first, ask questions later.
Someone is kidnapping and killing men. Mia finds alien hair at one of the crime scenes and latches on to Lilla En Arr, who didn't kill anybody but definitely knows something. Then Mia's partner is mortally wounded and the only one who can save him is Lilla's sexy brother, Kyrin. In exchange, Kyrin wants Mia to free his sister. Also, Kyrin seems to be tangled up in the mess with the missing and dead men.
This book works for a while because I liked Mia. Talk about a major bitch! I'm sure some readers will be turned off, but frankly after overdosing on goody-two-shoes romance heroines, Mia is the perfect antidote.
Unfortunately the author leads her character into an ending that just doesn't worth. Hokey is the word that immediately jumped to mind. Also, there are major loose ends here. Honestly, when did authors decide that loose ends were "ok" as long as the book was part of a series? This seems a rather new development with me, and several of my favorite authors (mystery writers included) have left sloppy endings in their most recent work.
You can tie everything up reasonably well and still mine it for future material in another story. Honest.
All in all, an average read.
Tuesday, October 4, 2005
The Aliens Have Landed
I know making fun of Harlequin's cover art department is like shooting fish in a barrel - but damn. Wait, check that. Damnity, damn, damn.What is up with this chick? I can't decide if she's:
- Possessed by a demon
- Drank Kool-Aid offered to her by her friendly neighborhood cult leader
- Under mind control from invading alien hordes
- A Stepford wife
Seriously creepy. My condolences to Myrna MacKenzie.
Monday, October 3, 2005
Baseball Talk
So long Alan Trammell. I'd say we hardly knew ya - but damn, you did play for the Tigers for 20 years.
Honestly, I'm not surprised by this. The Boyfriend and I were just discussing if Tram would have a job after the end of the season. I said no - not because my Tigers finished under .500 (again), but because the team just quit this last month. Heck, even that embarrassingly awful team from 2002 (119 losses) played with some fire in their bellies down the stretch.
A lot happened this season that wasn't Tram's fault. Carlos Guillen basically being out the whole season really hurt. Also, who expected Magglio to be out with a hernia? But I wasn't always wild with Tram's line-up choices or the way he called the games. Still, we need pitching bad. Whoever decided we should unload Kyle Farnsworth needs to be beat up side the head repeatedly.
So where does that leave us? Boston winning the AL Wild Card (again) and the Evil Empire winning the AL East. Again. I'm about ready to sell a kidney for a little variety.
Wendy's World Series prediction? The Skankies. They're rolling now folks, and unless the starting pitching takes a major dump, I don't see any other AL team beating them (the Angels have the best shot IMHO). And the NL? Puhleeze. I have no faith there. I mean, I know Boston had major momentum last year, but St. Louis should have kicked their asses. Instead they rolled over and died.
All in all, I'm rather depressed by the whole thing.
Honestly, I'm not surprised by this. The Boyfriend and I were just discussing if Tram would have a job after the end of the season. I said no - not because my Tigers finished under .500 (again), but because the team just quit this last month. Heck, even that embarrassingly awful team from 2002 (119 losses) played with some fire in their bellies down the stretch.
A lot happened this season that wasn't Tram's fault. Carlos Guillen basically being out the whole season really hurt. Also, who expected Magglio to be out with a hernia? But I wasn't always wild with Tram's line-up choices or the way he called the games. Still, we need pitching bad. Whoever decided we should unload Kyle Farnsworth needs to be beat up side the head repeatedly.
So where does that leave us? Boston winning the AL Wild Card (again) and the Evil Empire winning the AL East. Again. I'm about ready to sell a kidney for a little variety.
Wendy's World Series prediction? The Skankies. They're rolling now folks, and unless the starting pitching takes a major dump, I don't see any other AL team beating them (the Angels have the best shot IMHO). And the NL? Puhleeze. I have no faith there. I mean, I know Boston had major momentum last year, but St. Louis should have kicked their asses. Instead they rolled over and died.
All in all, I'm rather depressed by the whole thing.
Saturday, October 1, 2005
Fantastic Book Alert
I'm about to do something evil.
I'm going to gush about a book that is very hard-to-find and naturally out-of-print. Now might be the time to think about selling one of your kidneys on the black market.
I've read some enjoyable historical romances this year, but nothing that's really moved me. Nothing that has smacked me in the face, put my heart on my sleeve and emotionally invested me to the depths that To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke did. This is a great, great book. My suggestion - even if you have no interest in it by the end of this posting, if you see it in a local used bookstore, buy it for a friend. Really, it's fantastic.
I have a hard time articulating why a book works for me when it's a keeper. I know that sounds a little weird, but I think it might be because all of my "keeper" books emotionally effect me in some way. It's hard to articulate emotions - which is probably why I will never write a romance novel. But let's see if I can muster up a decent explanation.
Mara Elliot is a widow with her back up against the wall. Her husband, James, has gotten himself killed. James was a dreamer. A wanderer with itchy feet who dreamed big then packed his bags when his get-rich-kick schemes fell short. Mara gave him an ultimatum 4 years ago, which is how he ended up in America and how he ended up dying in a mine collapse.
But Mara is resourceful. She has taken the small company that James started in London's East End and made it solvent. Sure she has had to work her fingers to the bone, but for the chance of security and independence Mara thinks her sacrifices have been worth it. But James death ruins everything. The bank calls in a loan.
To save her company she must enter a partnership with Nathaniel Chase, a man who knew James. Like James, Nathaniel is a dreamer and has this bizarre idea to manufacture toy trains. Mara is terrified out of her mind, but to save her company she had to give Nathaniel controlling interest. So they're making toys whether she hates the idea or not.
However something miraculous happens along the way. Nathaniel decides he wants their partnership to work. He decides he wants Mara to trust him. He wants the pretty young widow to live life instead of being afraid of it. He just didn't intend to fall in love with her.
Throughout all of this are Nathaniel's dreams, Mara's fears, a young boy in desperate need of stability and the villain, Nathaniel's older and jealous brother.
Sometimes as a reader you just know when a book is going to work for you. I knew it within the first chapter. I knew it when Mara stands up and tells Nathaniel in no uncertain terms that she will not have her security threatened by another "rainbow-chasing dreamer." I knew it because Guhrke rings more emotion out of her characters than any author has a right too.
I knew it when I read:
I'm sorry, I just about lost it there.
Extremely minor quibble here: I did feel the book was about 50 pages too long. But honestly, who am I to complain? Nathaniel is just about the most perfect Beta hero I've read ever and Mara might be scared, but man she's a woman to admire. A great, great book. Guhrke should be proud of this one.
I'm going to gush about a book that is very hard-to-find and naturally out-of-print. Now might be the time to think about selling one of your kidneys on the black market.
I've read some enjoyable historical romances this year, but nothing that's really moved me. Nothing that has smacked me in the face, put my heart on my sleeve and emotionally invested me to the depths that To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke did. This is a great, great book. My suggestion - even if you have no interest in it by the end of this posting, if you see it in a local used bookstore, buy it for a friend. Really, it's fantastic.
I have a hard time articulating why a book works for me when it's a keeper. I know that sounds a little weird, but I think it might be because all of my "keeper" books emotionally effect me in some way. It's hard to articulate emotions - which is probably why I will never write a romance novel. But let's see if I can muster up a decent explanation.
Mara Elliot is a widow with her back up against the wall. Her husband, James, has gotten himself killed. James was a dreamer. A wanderer with itchy feet who dreamed big then packed his bags when his get-rich-kick schemes fell short. Mara gave him an ultimatum 4 years ago, which is how he ended up in America and how he ended up dying in a mine collapse.
But Mara is resourceful. She has taken the small company that James started in London's East End and made it solvent. Sure she has had to work her fingers to the bone, but for the chance of security and independence Mara thinks her sacrifices have been worth it. But James death ruins everything. The bank calls in a loan.
To save her company she must enter a partnership with Nathaniel Chase, a man who knew James. Like James, Nathaniel is a dreamer and has this bizarre idea to manufacture toy trains. Mara is terrified out of her mind, but to save her company she had to give Nathaniel controlling interest. So they're making toys whether she hates the idea or not.
However something miraculous happens along the way. Nathaniel decides he wants their partnership to work. He decides he wants Mara to trust him. He wants the pretty young widow to live life instead of being afraid of it. He just didn't intend to fall in love with her.
Throughout all of this are Nathaniel's dreams, Mara's fears, a young boy in desperate need of stability and the villain, Nathaniel's older and jealous brother.
Sometimes as a reader you just know when a book is going to work for you. I knew it within the first chapter. I knew it when Mara stands up and tells Nathaniel in no uncertain terms that she will not have her security threatened by another "rainbow-chasing dreamer." I knew it because Guhrke rings more emotion out of her characters than any author has a right too.
I knew it when I read:
She lowered her face into her gloved hands, loving him for being the man that he was, hating him for not being the man she wanted. But most of all, she hated herself for the pain she had caused him and the fear that made her unable to take it away.
I'm sorry, I just about lost it there.
Extremely minor quibble here: I did feel the book was about 50 pages too long. But honestly, who am I to complain? Nathaniel is just about the most perfect Beta hero I've read ever and Mara might be scared, but man she's a woman to admire. A great, great book. Guhrke should be proud of this one.
Tag, I'm It!
Nicole tagged me. Here are the "rules":
1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...
5. Tag five people to do the same.
Here is mine:
"We've fired up our grill a couple of times already, but I'm thinking tomorrow will officially herald in springtime for our corner of the Midwest."
First things first, I was still living in Michigan and firing up the grill in April is a momentous occasion. April in Michigan can mean snow - so it was a nice day. I also recall that we grilled ribs using a new sauce recipe we found and they were tasty - but that's neither here nor there.
We were having friends over (newlyweds who have since divorced) and going to watch the Red Wings game. Hockey. Remember hockey?
Who am I tagging? No one. You can all breathe a sigh of relief.
1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...
5. Tag five people to do the same.
Here is mine:
"We've fired up our grill a couple of times already, but I'm thinking tomorrow will officially herald in springtime for our corner of the Midwest."
First things first, I was still living in Michigan and firing up the grill in April is a momentous occasion. April in Michigan can mean snow - so it was a nice day. I also recall that we grilled ribs using a new sauce recipe we found and they were tasty - but that's neither here nor there.
We were having friends over (newlyweds who have since divorced) and going to watch the Red Wings game. Hockey. Remember hockey?
Who am I tagging? No one. You can all breathe a sigh of relief.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)